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8 ROOF COATINGS 2018 COATINGSPROMAG.COM
By Ben DuBose
Photos Courtesy of GAF, Gardner-Gibson, Icynene-Lapolla, KARNAK, Kemper System, Momentive Performance Materials, MSA
Safety, National Coatings, Polyglass USA, Inc., Polyurethane Machinery Corporation, Rust-Oleum, SprayWorks Equipment Group,
and Tramex Meters
Top-Shelf Jobs: How to Navigate Roofi ng Projects
N
o matter the substrate or location, any job
involving the application of protective coatings
and/or spray polyurethane foam (SPF) systems
can present its own unique challenges. However,
roofi ng jobs often add even more variables for contractors to
consider. e logistics of working outside and safely access-
ing extreme heights — and, at times, navigating considerable
slope — are key considerations along with the basics, such as
inspections, surface preparation and repair, material choices,
application strategies, and more.
To help contractors overcome these tall tasks,
CoatingsPro spoke with several roofi ng industry experts
to gather intel on best practices and potential product and
technology solutions for use across all of the various stages at
a jobsite. Read on to see how contractors can come out on top
in the application of coatings and/or SPF on roofi ng projects.
Roof Restorations Rise
Roof coating projects are becoming increasingly popular as a
more environmentally friendly and economical alternative to
a complete roof replacement, in which the tearing off process
is costly and can fi ll landfi lls.
"If you have an existing roof, the roof is one of the most
costly and risky aspects of a property," said Doug Kramer,
president of SPF insulation and refl ective roof coatings
provider Icynene-Lapolla. Icynene, a Canada-based manufac-
turer and distributor of SPF products, merged last year with
Lapolla, a global supplier and producer of SPF and coating
products based in Houston, Texas. "W hen you have the
ability, eff ectively for pennies on the dollar, to coat it and
protect it and extend the longevity, it brings tremendous
value," Kramer added.
For some roofs, though, a full replacement job may not be
avoidable, depending upon the condition of the substrate.
"If the substrate repair is expensive, the economics of
re-roofi ng become compelling," said Jim Arnold, director of
product development at Kemper System America, Inc. "But if
more minimal repair is indicated, as verifi ed by an infrared scan,
then coating can be benefi cial. It avoids disruption because it's
a smaller crew, with fewer people crawling around the building.
It's a much quieter construction process, with low-VOC [volatile
organic compound] products installed and equipment that
does not produce a lot of heat or fumes or use a lot of energy to
operate. ose are things that contractors can think about."
ose technical advantages and breakthroughs have led
to signifi cant momentum in recent years for the coatings side
of the roofi ng marketplace.
" e coatings industry has been recognized as bringing
signifi cant fi nancial value and other value, such as energy
savings, and it continues to expand," added Icynene-Lapolla's
Kramer. "I would be very surprised if there's any roofer in
America who is not using coatings at some time or some level."
For jobs in which a coating is viable, many clients have
historically turned to roof coatings or SPF systems near the
end of a roof 's life cycle. But based on the benefi ts, these
systems could potentially be solutions earlier in a building's
lifespan, as well.
"W hether a traditional roof coating system or SPF, it
used to be that people would immediately think to coat aging
roofs before the life of that roof was too much in jeopardy and
the physical properties were too deteriorated," Kramer said.
"But now, we're actually seeing new roofs being prepared and
coated prior to the end of the initial installation to extend
the longevity and optimize the investment. We're even seeing
manufacturers that are pre-coating their own products."
Roof Coatings
Besides not filling landfills, many roof coatings and SPF systems
are also attractive econmically and environmentally because of the
"cool roof" concept.